Question

read the excerpt from leslie marmon silkos story the man to send rain clouds. his fingers were stiff, and it took him a long time to twist the lid off the holy water. drops of water fell on the red blanket and soaked into dark icy spots. he sprinkled the grave and the water disappeared almost before it touched the dim, cold sand; it reminded him of something—he tried to remember what it was, because he thought if he could remember he might understand this. he sprinkled more water; he shook the container until it was empty, and the water fell through the light from sundown like august rain that fell while the sun was still shining, almost evaporating before it touched the wilted squash flowers. what inference can be made about father pauls motives for going with leon to sprinkle holy water on teofilos grave? ○ he hopes that teofilos family will allow him to hold a funeral mass. ○ he hopes to integrate his beliefs into theirs as much as possible. ○ he is performing last rites for teofilo without the knowledge of teofilos family.

Explanation:

Father Paul's action of sprinkling holy water on Teofilo's grave, engaging with the ritual alongside Leon, shows his desire to connect his Catholic beliefs with the traditional practices of Teofilo's family. This act is an attempt to bridge the two belief systems rather than pushing his own alone or acting secretly. The other options do not align: there's no indication he's seeking a funeral Mass, and he is acting with the family's knowledge.

Answer:

He hopes to integrate his beliefs into theirs as much as possible.